NextFest 2008: Xerox Intros Self-Erasing Paper and Other Green Tech

One of three major sponsors of this year's NextFest (alongside Toyota and Citi), Xerox perhaps doesn't seem like an ideal match for the future technology show, by the office supply company was more than happy to unveil some new products and prototypes.

One of three major sponsors of this year's NextFest (alongside Toyota and Citi), Xerox perhaps doesn't seem like an ideal match for the future technology show, by the office supply company was more than happy to unveil some new products and prototypes.

The star of the company's floor display, like many other exhibits on the showroom floor, was focused on sustainability. The aim of the company's Erasable Paper is to cut down on the tremendous amount of copy paper that an office goes through in a single day.

According to the company, more than 40 percent of office printouts are tossed in the trash heap the same day they're produced. The company's prototype is designed to self-erase in that same amount of time--24 hours--so it can be used the following day. And the day after that.

The company also showed off a Christmas tree-like display with color Solid Ink ornaments hanging from its branches. Designed at eliminating expensive (and annoying) cartridges, these blocks are made out of red, blue, green, or yellow ink. Drop them directly into a printer and they eliminate 90-percent of waste--and time, printing out at 30 pages a minute.

Xerox is overwhelmingly associated with its office supplies, but the company was happy to mix things up a bit with the Spiral Water Filtration system, a partnership with PARC, an attempt to bring low-cost, efficient water filtration to those who need it. The filter is comprised on plastic tubing that filters water through centrifugal force.

Brian Heater has worked at a number of tech pubs, including Engadget, Laptop, and PCMag (where he served as Senior Editor). Most recently, he was as the Managing Editor of TechTimes.com. His writing has appeared in Spin, Wired, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Onion, Boing Boing, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Beast and various other publications. He hosts the weekly Boing Boing interview podcast RiYL, has appeared as a regular NPR contributor and shares his Queens apartment with a rabbit named Lucy.
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